


Welcome Home, Deborah Ocean

by casliyn



Category: Ocean's 8 (2018), Ocean's Eleven Trilogy (Movies)
Genre: Angst, Childhood Memories, F/F, F/M, Family Drama, Family Feels, Flashbacks, Gen, Minor Character Death, Mother-Daughter Relationship, Multi, Plot Twists
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-23
Updated: 2019-01-19
Packaged: 2019-06-14 22:48:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,250
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15399234
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/casliyn/pseuds/casliyn
Summary: Debbie's mother, Diana arrives out of the blue one day to reveal startling information about her family.With a family and life of her own, Debbie has to decide on if she values her family as much as she used to.It's up to the two of them to put all of their issues to the side for the sole purpose of bringing their (estranged) family together.





	1. Enter: Diana Ocean

**Author's Note:**

> Follow Me on Tumblr: @Casliyn
> 
> For Diana, picture Christine Baranski! (Honestly, who ELSE would you think of?)

“She’s not going to eat it like that, ya’ know?”

Debbie groans in protest as she lowers the spoon into the small bowl.

“Well if you keep saying that she won’t.” she retorts with an eye roll that Lou manages to copy with a teasing smirk.

Lou leans forward and wipes away the baby food off of Dani’s cheek with her index finger.

Dani gurgles and begins to rap her hands on the table of her highchair with a frustrated look on her face.

Since Dani was about eight months old, the group were currently trying to get her to communicate and or eat her food (but because she  _ is  _ Debbie Ocean’s child, it was taking a bit longer for her to budge).

“Why don’t we try this again in a few hours.” Lou stands up and wipes her hands on her jeans as she leans forward and takes the child in her hands.

“She needs to eat, Lou.” Debbie protests with an eyebrow raise as she stands up and walks over to Lou who uses a towel to clean off Dani’s messy face.

“Well _I_ figure we rather deal with her hungry then fussy...isn’t that so?” she pouts playfully at Dani who babbles uncontrollably and reaches out to tug on Debbie’s brunette hair.

Debbie sighs and takes a sip of her coffee from her mug.

“Someone’s feisty this morning..” Lou winks at Debbie and leans forward to place a kiss on Debbie’s cheek as she cradles Dani in her arms.

“I can try to feed her?” Amita suggests as the two of them enter the living room where the rest of the group sit on the large couches in front of their new television screen.

Lou shakes her head, “It’s fine..she just needs to relax for a few.”

“You can hold her though,” Lou suggests to Amita who nods and holds her hands out.

The blonde woman leans forward and hands the small child over to Amita who takes the brunette child in her hands with a beam.

In perfect timing, Daphne strolls down the stairs with Scarlett snuggled in her arms and head leaning against her shoulder with a satisfied look on her face.

“All of that arguing around the baby  _ cannot  _ be good for her development.” Daphne sits down on the ground and places Scarlett in her toy carrier carefully.

Tammy clears her throat,

“We weren’t arguing, just having a conversation…” Lou holds a hand up as she leans her body on the couch next to Debbie who rubs her temples out of aggravation.

“Okay, _sis.”_ Nine Ball smirks to herself as she types of her tablet next to Tammy who reads a magazine.

Amita plays with Dani’s fingers (which luckily distracts the child) to keep her occupied.

Debbie feels Lou’s hand slink out and stroke her thigh gently as Rose continues to sew in the corner seat.

“Are we still having dinner tonight?” she questions

Lou shrugs her shoulders,

“I was thinking we could all just stay in for today, have a nice home-cooked dinner.,” she suggests and everyone nods along with that.

Debbie’s eyebrows perk up as Dani makes a small noise,

“Maybe we can-”

Then the door slams open revealing a distressed Constance.

The sight alone is to get Debbie and Lou off the couch and striding over to the dark-haired woman.

“Constance, what’s wrong?” Tammy sits up as Constance runs a hand up and down her arm nervously.

“I fucked up... _I fucked up_.” she bites her bottom lip nervously which prompts Lou to bring her in for a shoulder hug.

“Okay, calm down..calm down.” Lou walks her over to the large couch as Amita stands up to receive a water bottle from the kitchen after she hands Dani to Nine Ball.

Debbie bends down so she’s looking up at Constance,

“Did you kill somebody?”

She shakes her head

“Did you hurt somebody?”

She shakes her head again.

“Do you think you’re going to go to jail?” Debbie raises an eyebrow and Constance shakes her head again.

Amita returns with a bottle of water in her hand and extends her arm to Constance who takes the water from her hand.

“Then what did you do?” Daphne stands up from her side of the couch and walks over to stand next to Debbie who is squatting on the floor.

Constance’s mouth opens as a knock is heard at the front door.

The group freezes as everyone looks around in confusion of who could possibly nodding.

Rose holds up a hand and makes her way over to the door.

She twists open the door as Debbie and Lou try to console Constance.

“Can I help you?” Rose raises an eyebrow at the unknown guest which prompts the group to all stand-up.

The guest makes a noise and scoffs,

“Rose Weil. I never thought I’d see you with your sanity intact.” the voice says which prompts the group to exchange a confused look with one another.

Rose freezes,

“Can I help you with something?” Rose politely questions the woman who laughs and strides her way into the loft.

Debbie practically loses her breath when she’s met with the guest.

“Mom?”

Diana Ocean stands tall with a white fur coat, dramatic sunglasses, and shoulder length blonde hair.

“Deborah, close your mouth..you know it can attract flies. We don’t want a repeat of what happened to you when you were five, do we?” the older lady walks over to Debbie and strokes her cheek.

Debbie looks around at the group nervously as everyone exchanges a cold look.

“Wait,  _ this  _ is your mom?” Constance looks between Debbie and Diana.

Diana nods and brings her purse close to her body with a protective arm.

“Yes. I am Deborah’s mother and  _ you  _ tried to steal my wallet.” she accused Constance whose face flares up in embarrassment. 

The room falls silent and Diana clears her throat.

“Are you going to introduce me to your friends?” Diana gives Debbie a cold stare and she just bites her bottom lip nervously.

“Why didn’t you tell me that you were coming?”

Diana scoffs, “Because I knew you would be headstrong and deny the chance of seeing your mother who loves you  _ very  _ much.” 

Debbie shakes her head and faces the group,

“Everyone...this is my mom, Diana Ocean,” Debbie admits ashamed as Dani squeals from excitement in Nine Ball’s arms.

“I’ve already met Ms. Weil,” Diana smirks at Rose who shrinks on the couch.

“Tamera? Honey, I haven’t seen you in  _ ages.”  _ Diana puts a hand over her heart as Tammy walks over to the woman and she pulls her in for a hug.

Daphne's eyebrow raises as the two hug

“Tamera? Tammy’s name is  _ Tamera.”  _ Daphne says on the verge of laughing.

“My have you’ve grown up...I remember when you and Debbie would run around the house doing god knows what.”.

Tammy gives the older woman a small smile,

“It’s nice to see you again, Diana. You’re looking great as always.” Tammy nods her head and gestures to the large fur coat resting on Diana’s shoulders.

She runs a hand through her blonde hair,

“Well. Now we all know where Deborah got her sense of style from.” Diana gives the group a grand smile.

Debbie steps in and pulls her mother away from Tammy in a fluid movement.

“Mom...This is Nine Ball, Amita,  _ Rose,  _ Daphne and of course, Constance.”

Diana nods her head in approval at everyone and her eyes widen as she sees Scarlett sleeping in her play arch and Dani in Nine Ball’s arms.

“You had  _ twins?”  _ She accuses Debbie who shakes her head furiously.

“No!’ Daphne comes to her defense, “This little girl over here is me and Rose’s daughter, Scarlett.”

“You two had a child together?” she points in between Rose and Daphne who smile at one another and nod.

She clicks her tongue,

“Well, times have changed.”

Debbie bites her bottom lip at that as Lou stands next to her defensively.

“She needs to go,” Debbie complains under her breath

Lou holds a hand up, “Debs, she could be here for something..just let her talk.”

Debbie pouts her lip at Lou as Nine Ball hands her Dani which prompts Diana’s eyes to practically bulging out of its sockets.

Diana removes her sunglasses and takes a long look at Dani who whimpers aimlessly.

“Is this Dani?” she points at the baby as Debbie and Lou exchange a look.

Lou speaks up,

“Danielle Sophia Miller-Ocean,” Lou explains to Diana whose jaw practically drops.

“You two had a child together?” her voice breaks in the middle.

Debbie bites her bottom lip and nods,

“She’s about eight months old and we decided to name her after Danny.”

The room falls silent as Lou slinks her arm around Debbie’s waist and a wave of softness flashes on Diana’s face.

“I’m holding her.” she pulls Dani from Debbie’s hands and the woman groans in annoyance.

Dani softly squeals as she snuggles into her Grandmother’s arms and her tiny hands begin to tug and play on the excessive jewelry wrapped around her neck and dripping from her earlobes.

“Mom, why are you here?”

Diana holds a hand up,

“Not know Deborah, I’m playing with my beautiful little granddaughter.” she holds a hand up.

Debbie stomps her foot and groans heavily,

“No. You don’t get to do that.” she protests and Lou tries to steady her movements.

“Debs, calm down.”

She slinks out of Lou’s grip.

“No Lou. You weren’t there when I needed you and know you want to act like this dedicated mother when we both know that is far from true.” she crosses her arms.

“Careful, Deborah.” her mother warns her.

“No.” she narrows her eyes at her mother angrily.

She pulls Dani away from her mother’s arms and hands her over to Constance angrily.

“Why are you here?” she crosses her arms at her mother who taps her feet impatiently on the hardwood floors.

Diana tilts her head to the side and shakes her head, 

“Mom. Answer me or leave just like you’ve done th-”

“Your father’s dead, Debbie.”

Debbie’s stomach drops and her head begins to spin.

She wanted her to be wrong

She wanted her to be wrong so fucking bad.

But the way the tears were sliding down her mother’s face?

That was all the confirmation she needed.


	2. Heist Gone Wrong

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Deborah. Nice to see you again.”
> 
> She slides onto the opposing side of the booth and shrugs off her coat.
> 
> “Debbie.” she corrects her mother who holds a hand up.
> 
> “You know how I feel about nicknames, Deborah. They’re unprofessional and show weakness.” her mother picks up a menu and begins to rifle through it.
> 
> Debbie dips her hand into the bread basket and pulls out a slice of Sourdough.
> 
> “Danny was a nickname.” she takes a bite.
> 
> Her mother shrugs her shoulders and removes her sunglasses.
> 
> “I’m not here to talk about nicknames, Deborah.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Make sure to follow me on Tumblr: @Casliyn

“Don’t do that.”

She looks up from her book and bites her bottom lip.

“Don’t do what?” she raises an eyebrow at her blonde partner who circles the coffee table and slides onto the couch next to her.

Lou dramatically rolls her eyes which prompts Debbie to shake her head in irritation and return to reading her book.

She stretches her leg out underneath the beige fluffy blanket and marks her book with a bookmark.

“Stop shutting out the world and _talk_ to me.” Lou wraps an arm around her shoulder which causes Debbie to rest her head on Lou’s shoulder.

Debbie sighs as Lou fingers through her brunette locks.

“I can’t go back home.” she protests as Lou follows along, “Because the _second_ I do...everything I don’t want to remember will be _right_ there.” she strokes Lou’s thigh gently.

“Well...you don’t have to go back if you don’t want to, Debs. No one’s forcing you.” Lou consoles her as Debbie bites her bottom lip nervously.

There was a big part of her that _didn’t_ want to return to New Jersey with her mother to help with whatever it was she needed help with.

She had a life, partner, and child of her own. Not to mention the fact that she knew her mother like the back of her hand.

Her mother was a world class thief and always managed to have a plan up her designer sleeves.

So Debbie already knew that her mother was planning something.

She smiles softly as she feels Lou’s finger wipe away the hot tears sliding down her cheek and fixes her disheveled brunette mane.

“Maybe we can go on vacation.” Debbie suggests, “Leave Dani with Tam or Constance..just the two of going somewhere nice, and _far.”._

Lou nods at that and rubs small circles on Debbie’s back

“Well. We have the money to go _wherever_ you want.” Lou pats her back gently which causes Debbie to sit up with a small grin.

“Something _nice_ , relaxing...and romantic.” she takes Lou’s hand in hers and strokes in gently.

“I like the way you’re thinkin’, jailbird.” Lou leans forward and places a soft kiss on her lips.

She snakes a hand around Lou’s neck to bring her in deeper for the kiss and they begin to find themselves lost with one another’s lips.

Then someone clears their throat.

They pull away as she looks and sighs at the sight before her.

“Yes, Constance?”

Constance hangs her head in shame and extends a plate of freshly cooked brownies towards her.

“I’m sorry I tried to rob your wealthy, upper state mom and was unsuccessful and basically lead her towards the loft…”

She runs a hand through her hair,

“You bake brownies?” Lou raises an eyebrow at Constance who simply shakes her head.

“I _wanted_ to steal the ones that Tammy made earlier but I decided to have her teach me how to make them since they’re addictive….”

Debbie opens her mouth to speak

“Like crack.” Constance cuts her off which prompts Debbie to smile to herself along with Lou who releases a soft chuckle.

Debbie had to admit, Tammy’s brownies were addictive.

There was a secret recipe (that no one but she and Nine knew) in them that brought the worst out of everyone.

There had been a few arguments here and there (mainly between Constance and Amita) on who would get the last one.

The steam swirling off of the hot desert was enough to make Debbie’s mouth water in anticipation and give the young woman a smile.

“Thank you, Constance.”

Constance gives her a toothy grin and extends her hands out.

“Can I get a hug?” she tries and Lou rubs Debbie’s back.

Debbie sighs and hands Lou the plate of brownies and stands up to pull Constance into a hug.

She _did_ give Debbie brownies and that was worthy of a hug.

* * *

 

The last time she came to New Jersey she made a vow to herself to return a changed woman.

She was eighteen, broke, single and fresh out of High School.

Now she was married, rich, and a mother.

Times really did change when you decided to uproot your life from a toxic situation.

Strolling down the familiar, bright streets of Downtown Rutherford she adjusts her oversized black fur coat as she looks around the large plaza of shops and fine restaurants.

Leave it to her mother to bring her right out of home to return to her stomping grounds.

She pulls open the door of ‘Paisano’s’ and sinks her teeth into her lips when the smell of fine Italian cuisine fills her nostrils which prompts her to sigh.

She makes her way over to the teenage staffer and digs her hands in her pockets.

“I’m here to meet Diana Ocean.” she introduces herself.

The young girl who couldn’t be older than nineteen looks behind her and turns back with a knowing look.

“Right this way, Ms. Ocean.” she gives Debbie a warm smile and begins to escort her towards the high-end wing of the eatery.

Growing up, Paisano’s was a delicacy in their home.

With their father being the Italian American businessman he was, he always made it a treat to bring the whole family there at the beginning and end of each month to spend ‘time together’.

But _his_ version of that was coming to a known dealing scene to set up and establish more and more business ventures with his wife as his kids ate in the background.

“You workin’ here for the summer?” Debbie raises an eyebrow at the young girl.

The girl nods as she runs a hand through on her slicked ponytail.

“Yeah. My parents own the spot, gotta pay my dues,” she responds with a thick Jersey accent.

Thank _god_ her’s dropped the second she left.

In a strange way, the girl looked _very_ similar to Dani.

With her soft hazel eyes, golden brown waves and distinct smile.

“Yeah, I understand that.” she pulls her wallet as they arrive at the front doors.

The girl wishes her well and turns around to walk away but Debbie stops her.

“What’s your name, kid?”

The girl pauses and points at herself,

“ _Charlie_.”

Debbie smiles at that and pulls out a crisp fifty dollar bill and places it in her pants pocket.

“Stay outta trouble, Charlie.” she opens the door and watches as the young teen gives her an eager nod.

Once she enters the door she sees the several people scattered around the room in different booths and her eyes fall on her mother-clad in a jumpsuit and a dramatic fur coat.

She sighs to herself as she steps down the small steps and makes her way over to her mother’s booth.

“Mom.”

Her mother looks up from her phone and smirks to herself as she presses a button and slides it into her pocket.

“Deborah. Nice to see you again.”

She slides onto the opposing side of the booth and shrugs off her coat.

“ _Debbie._ ” she corrects her mother who holds a hand up.

“You know how I feel about nicknames, Deborah. They’re unprofessional and show weakness.” her mother picks up a menu and begins to rifle through it.

Debbie dips her hand into the bread basket and pulls out a slice of Sourdough.

“Danny was a nickname.” she takes a bite.

Her mother shrugs her shoulders and removes her sunglasses.

“I’m not here to talk about nicknames, _Deborah.”_

Ah. So _nothing’s_ changed since she was eighteen.

She looks around the private section of the dining room and sighs.

“What’s the reasoning behind you asking me to meet you in Jersey, in case you haven’t noticed I have a li-”

“Your father died and all you can think about is your heist ‘gang’ and you’re _hookup_ buddy.” her mother shakes her head disappointed and holds a hand on her heart.

She knew it was coming but it _still_ manages to annoy her.

She pauses to calm down.

“ _How_ did Dad die?” she closes her eyes as the waiter places two glasses of water next to them.

Her mother sighs and dusts off her fur coat,

“I need a drink.” she raises a hand and signals the waiter.

So, her mother orders a Vodka Soda and a salad because of _course,_ she would.

She decides to order a Vodka Martini--only because she’ll need one to get through this conversation.

And _that_ is how she learns the details of her father’s death.

Apparently, he was in a heist gone wrong and ended up getting shot to death inside his work warehouse.

Like Lou said, never run a job inside of a job. (Even though she didn’t listen to that advice _then)._

Then she finally gets it.

She now gets why she was asked to leave everything behind to meet her mother who hesitated to do that at times.

“You want me to finish his heist, don’t you?”

Diana taps her straw on the rim of her glass.

“You’re the only person I could think of.” she gives Debbie a blank look.

Debbie rolls her eyes,

“So when I’m in prison it’s all taboo but the second there’s a heist _you_ need done, you think about me more than Danny.”

She shrugs her shoulders like it’s obvious.

“What I’m offering is nothing you haven’t handled before.” Diana protests as Debbie purses her lips.

“That’s not the point, mom.”

The waiter comes by to place their salads in front of them and quickly breezes past them.

She doesn’t blame him.

“Deborah. This is _all_ your father wanted in the world, if you do this then you are securing _his_ legacy.”

She doesn’t know if it’s because of the martini or the topic of conversation but she feels her head slightly begin to spin.

Since she got pregnant and had Dani, Debbie was trying ( _really_ trying) to take a small break from alcohol along with Lou.

Both her and Lou knew what it was like to see their parents act on alcohol and neither one of them ever wanted to expose Dani to that.

Debbie looks around the dining area and leans in.

“If you had made it a deal to speak with me before all of this, then you would know that I’m different now. All I do is a few small jobs but _nothing_ that can put Dani or L-”

Her mother groans at the brief mention of Lou which is enough to anger her.

“Please don’t mention _her_ here, darling.”

Debbie grits her teeth and tilts her head to the side with an irritated look on her face.

She takes a sip of her drink and leans against the booth’s seat.

“She’s my _partner,_ mom. If you want to entertain the idea of me finishing off this heist then I need her _and_ my team.”

Diana taps her fingernails against the marble table with a small scowl.

“What are you trying to do here? Give me a stroke?”

Debbie shakes her head and grabs her fur coat as she shrugs it back on.

“ _If_ I’m doing this then I need to do it right.” she takes another bite of bread and picks at it unintentionally.

The two exchange a look of silence.

Debbie knew she was stubborn but her mother was a different level of it.

It was either her way or no one else’s way.

Talk about difficult.

“Deborah. I raised you well enough to not depend on _anyone_ for a job.”

She smirks to herself and pulls out a fifty dollar bill as she throws it onto the table.

 _“That’s_ the problem. You raised me to be a loner because _you_ were always alone.”

Diana’s eyes widen as she leans back against the booth’s cushions and shakes her head at Debbie who gives her a stern glare as she pulls herself together.

“I’ll have this whole situation covered in a few weeks, until then...do _not_ talk to me.” she slides herself out of the booth and stands straight up the second she’s on her feet.

Diana’s eyes flash dangerously at Debbie.

“If you fuck this up, it’s you and your little ‘posse’s’ asses that’ll be on the line.” she takes a sip of her beverage.

Debbie plunges her hands into her coat pockets and exits with silence.

* * *

 

She got a hotel room in Newark for the night to be alone with her thoughts.

For some strange reason, she always thought best whenever she was alone in a room with a few snacks and drinks.

Since the meeting with her mother was controlling, depressing and all around a bad idea, she decided to take a nice, soaking bath in the large tub as her mind raced furiously.

Directly after the bath, she tied on a robe and laid in bed as she observed the online documents and information found on her father and his ‘businesses’.

Apparently, her father was trying to pull off a heist at the world famous Fortuna Casino in Dubai and was trying to pull off the job with his trusted team of friends.

Had his partners been thirty years younger and had new tricks up their sleeves, maybe _just_ maybe they would’ve pulled it off and her father would still be alive.

She pulled out her trusted notebook and began to jot down her list which is vital to help her pull off this heist.

“Step One, Mother Hen..” she runs a line through the words after she puts it down.

“Step Two, The _Wild_ Card…” she sighs to herself as she reads the words aloud after writing it down.

Her mind goes to Tess immediately.

The last time she even spoke to Tess had to have been before she went to prison.

Last she heard of the woman, she took her and Danny’s child away from their house in New York and hauled ass to somewhere new to a ‘fresh start’ or whatever it was that she had read somewhere online.

There was a very good chance that Tess would reject _any_ meeting Debbie would care to set up with her due to the fact that they didn’t have the greatest relationship.

It’s just that Debbie didn’t appreciate Tess always trying to turn Danny into something that he _wasn’t._

If there was anything she learned from being in love is that you should never try to change who the person is.

Her phone blares to life revealing an incoming facetime call from Lou.

She smiles to herself and hits the green button as she leans against the plush white pillows and takes in the vanilla aroma from the candles she lit.

Within seconds, Lou (who only wears her robe and has her blonde hair skewered everywhere) appears on the screen with an arm full of Dani who sits peacefully.

Her heart unclenches and she begins to smile brightly at the camera.

“Hey there, baby.”

Debbie runs a hand up and down her arm; pretending it’s Lou’s.

“Hey you two…” she props her elbow up on a pillow and tilts the camera so she sees both Lou and Dani perfectly.

On the screen, Dani’s face bursts into a smile as she begins to laugh uncontrollably as Lou nestles the child in her arms.

“Do you see Mommy?” Lou tickles the baby’s stomach as Debbie watches with a large smile draped across her lips.

Dani squeals in excitement and begins to reach out towards the camera which prompts Lou to try and wrangle her back into her arms.

“How was your day with Diana?” Lou questions with an interested face as she offers Dani a toy.

Debbie runs a hand through her hair and sighs.

She _wants_ to be honest about everything but at the same time, there was something about seeing her partner and child that made her a tad bit distracted.

“It was...an _event_ as always.” her shoulders fall, “A sad, depressing and boring event that I braved through.”

Well, it technically wasn’t a lie.

Lou pouts at that and leans her head against a pillow as Dani babbles.

“You find out about your dad?”

Debbie nods gently,

“Heist went wrong apparently. She’s not letting go though.”

Lou nods at that and runs her fingers through Dani’s brunette curls.

“I’m sorry to hear about that love, how ya’ holdin’ up?” her eyes squint at Debbie as she mindlessly dusts off her fluffy white robe.

Awful.

“I’m fine.”

Lou seems a bit taken aback by her partner’s quick response and manages to sit up on the bed.

“You sure? Why don’t we talk about it for a bit..I’m about to go put Dani to--”

“It’s fine.” Debbie cuts her off, “We don’t need to dwell on that.” she waves a hand as Lou looks around at her surroundings.

Lou makes a muffled noise and runs a hand through her blonde hair.

“Debs, baby. Is everything all right?”

No.

“Yes-everything is _alright_. I just had a long..night.” she shuts her eyes and massaged her temples with her free hand as Dani makes a sad gurgle.

Lou gently coos to the young child as Debbie’s eyes flutter back open and she sees her daughter’s face scrunched up in confusion at the camera.

“You look like some rest would do ya’ good, darling,” Lou suggests and readjusts a now fussy Dani in her arms.

The paperwork next to her catches her attention and she yawns.

“Yeah, I think I’ll just do that..” Debbie squints her eyes at the piece of paper next to her.

Nine was able to give Debbie the address to Tess’s new house in Westchester and she was stuck on the next step.

She knew what she had to do in such a short amount of time.

“Alright then, we won’t hold you on any longer.” Lou cuddles a fussy Dani.

“Say bye-bye to Mommy, Pea.” Lou consoles the small child who mumbles incoherently and reaches towards the camera.

“I love you, baby,” she speaks in a small voice for Dani and feels her heart slowly break.

Lou grins at her passionately.

“I love you, jailbird.”

Her face breaks out into a small smile,

“I love you too, babe.”  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Make sure to leave a comment and or kudos!


	3. Enter: The Wild Card(s)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She always found Tess too...anal for Danny in a way.
> 
> Growing up, Danny had always been the trouble-maker. He was known for disturbing the peace of their neighborhood with countless pranks, stealing jobs and minor heists.
> 
> So for him to bring home a Type-A Princess such as Tess still managed to confuse the ever-loving shit out of her.
> 
> She wondered since Danny’s death if Tess lost any of her ‘perfect’ tastes or qualities she had made a show of over the years.

One of the penalties about being on parole was that she wasn’t able to drive anymore. 

But thanks to her ‘friends’ in the law, she was able to get that cleared in no time.

So, after her brief trip back home she drives herself all the way up to Westchester.

She spends the whole drive up wondering  _ how  _ exactly she’ll play up to Tess; without the help of Danny of course.

It’s not like the two were the  _ best  _ of friends, it’s just that..they never really meshed well with one another.

She always found Tess too... _ anal  _ for Danny in a way.

Growing up, Danny had always been the trouble-maker. He was  _ known  _ for disturbing the peace of their neighborhood with countless pranks, stealing jobs and minor heists.

So for him to bring home a Type-A Princess such as Tess still managed to confuse the ever-loving shit out of her.

She wondered since Danny’s death if Tess lost any of her ‘perfect’ tastes or qualities she had made a show of over the years.

Then she pulled into the driveway of an expansive, three-story mansion that has an exterior of pearl white stone and black lining.

“She’s still got it..” Debbie grits out as she drives next to the fountain to park the car in place and changes the gear shift into park.

She pauses for a moment as she removes her sunglasses and stays still in her seat taking in her surroundings.

“Here goes nothin’..” she releases a long sigh and pops open the door of the car and exits the car.

She grabs her purse and car keys as she begins to descend up the long driveway and looks around the decorative set-up.

There’s a dramatic fountain, well-kept lawn with beautiful flowers blooming and a wooden bench.

When she arrives to the heavy oak door she leans forward and raps her knuckles against the wood sharply and rocks back and forth in her heels.

Debbie understands that there is about a ninety-five percent chance that she'll open the door and slam it directly in her face without hesitation and the other five percent would be used towards Tess’s inevitable hissy fit. 

To go a step further, she puts her finger directly on the peephole lens to keep her identity hidden.

Before she knows it the door swings open revealing Tess all in her glory, clad in a pair of jeans and champagne colored sweater and of course a smile that fades as soon as she sees who's there.

Her eyes blink in disbelief.

“Debbie?”

Debbie gives her a small smile and nods,

“Tess. I was in the neighborhood and wanted to pay you a visit.” she rubs her hands together.

Tess runs a hand through her honey blonde hair as she eyes Debbie up and down suspiciously.

“Pay me a visit? That’s funny, did you bring the whole gang with you this time?” she bites back.

Debbie grits her teeth and shakes her head,

“Nope. Just me. I figured we could both do a visit without my mother.”

Tess turns around at the noise of a piano in the background and returns back to Debbie with a sigh.

“Look. I’m sorry about David, tell Diana that I’ll come to the service and --”

“Can I come in?” Debbie cuts her off with a snarky tone.

Tess is taken aback and tilts her head to the side.

“I’m sorry?”

“I’d like to come inside.. _ unless  _ there’s something you don’t want me to see…” she points towards the inside of the house.

Tess releases a soft laugh and rolls her eyes,

“Fine, come on in..” she steps to the side and gives Debbie a fake smile.

“And try not to steal anything while you’re at it.” Tess locks the door shut after Debbie enters with a knowing smile.

“I have my own money now, I don’t have to steal from my brother and his  _ wife  _ anymore.” she puts her hands in her pockets and begins to stroll around the foyer.

It’s not like she was lying exactly.

* * *

 

“Bebe. Calm down.” 

Debbie rolled her eyes and continued to rifle through her magazine giving him an uninterested huff.

“I am calm. I’m just surprised how Mom hasn’t lost her cool yet, lord knows she was betting on Yvette.”

Danny rolls his eyes at that as he walks over to her and snatches the magazine from her hands.

“What the-”

“What is your deal, Debs?” He narrows his eyes at her as adjusts herself on the leather couch.

She runs a hand through her brunette waves and gives him an irritated glace

“I was  _ reading  _ that, Daniel.”

“Why are you acting like a teenage girl? Afraid that she’ll keep me away from you for good?” he teases her with a slight smile which she ignores.

She groans and lets her head tilt back against the couch pillows.

“I don’t  _ trust  _ her, Danny.” she mindlessly tugs on her bracelet, “I mean honestly, who is an ‘art appraiser’ from Maine?”

“There’s no fucking art in Maine.” she shakes her head at him.

Danny’s teeth bare at that as he begins to laugh at her harmoniously. He rubs his hands together as he bends down and takes a seat on the couch.

“I sense your jealousy.” he reaches out and takes her Martini from the coffee table and takes a long sip as he crosses his legs.

She opens her mouth to protest but he cuts her off.

“Now, I understand that you may be  _ distraught  _ at the thought of losing your dear old brother  _ but  _ I’m not going anywhere…” he pats her shoulder encouragingly with his free hand.

Debbie scoffs and picks her magazine back up.

“Before you know it she’ll have you moved into a stone exterior mansion in the heart of Maine with three kids and a case of depression.”

His face scrunches at that.

“Oh come on, kids aren’t a  _ burden.”  _ he plucks the magazine from her hands yet again which prompts Debbie to sigh.

Debbie gives him a ‘get real’ look and crosses her arms.

“In this family, they would be.” she protests, “Dad is a criminal, Mom is crazy as all hell and  _ you  _ are a criminal.” she points at him.

Danny pats a hand on his thigh and takes a deep breath

“Debbi-”

“Don’t Debbie me, Danny. I don’t trust her.” she takes the glass back from Danny and takes a finishing sip of it.

“You don’t trust  _ anybody  _ Debbie.” he leans forward and pulls her in for a side hug.

“We’re Oceans, that’s our job.”

* * *

 

“Do you know my Daddy?”

Debbie looks down at the young girl who has her chestnut brown hair pulled into a high ponytail and the rest runs down her back with a large pink bow tucked in her hair

She looks around the large living room and takes a sip of the tea Tess had managed to make for her as she ran upstairs to run a small errand.

“I do.” she nods earnestly, “I’m your Dad’s little sister.” she looks at the child’s teddy bear as she holds in her arms protectively. 

The girl’s eyes widen in surprise as her jaw drops.

“You’re Bebe?” she questions incredulously, “Daddy talks about you  _ all  _ the time.”

She was surprised.

She hadn’t expected the kid to have  _ any  _ knowledge of her existence whatsoever and the fact that she did..it touched her a bit.

“Is that so?” Debbie raises an eyebrow at the little child, “What has he told you?”

The little girl pauses for a second and begins to look around the room.

“He tells me stories of when you guys were littler and how Gigi used to do your hair in bows.” she counts off her fingers.

_ Yikes.  _ She forgot about the bows.

She clicks her tongue and sighs,

“Well, I’m glad you know about--”

“Angelina. I told you to go to the playroom.” Tess interrupts her as she makes her way down the grand staircase and quickly strides over towards Debbie and Angelina.

The little girl pouts and sighs in defeat,  

“But I don’t want to..” she protests as Tess inches towards her with her hands on her hips.

“Angelina. I’m not repeating myself again, say goodbye to Aunt Debbie now.” she gestures towards Debbie as she takes the young girl’s hand in hers and begins to lead her towards a door on the opposite side of the large room.

Debbie waves to the small child as Tess escorts Angelina into a new room and gives her a few strict instructions.

She returns to the table Debbie sits at and sits on the opposing side of the table.

“She’s adorable.” Debbie taps her fingernails against the wood of the table.

Tess earnestly nods and runs a hand through her hair,

“Thank you. I’m sorry if she said anything crazy.” Tess looks around the room and holds a hand up.

Debbie shakes her head,

“It’s fine.” she shrugs her shoulders, “Kids’ll be kids.”

Tess gives her a suspicious look and nods along.

She sighs and rubs her hands together,

“Well, I don’t want to keep you long. What is it that you need, Debbie?”

Debbie gives Tess a pout of her lips and nods.

Fair enough.

“I have a job for you.”

Tess’s eyes widen and she begins to giggle as she leans back in her seat.

“I’m sorry? Did you just come here and offer me a position in your next big criminal heist?” she crosses her arms and gives Debbie a stern look.

“You of all people should know how much you can miss out on because of a job gone wrong.”

She had to admit, Tess had  _ game. _

Game recognizes Game.

Debbie gives an earnest nod,

“You have a point there, but don’t think this is a criminal job.”

Tess’s eyebrow raise.

“What? Is it a fundraiser for childhood obesity? Or a gala for helping raise funds to end cancer?” she leans forward as she questions Debbie.

Debbie shakes her head,

“It’s not that complicated.” she offers

Tess clicks her tongue and looks around the nicely decorated living room.

“I know that  _ we  _ never got along.” Debbie starts

“Really? I never noticed.”

She pauses and calms herself down for a brief second.

“All I need you to do is help me sell a few paintings.” Debbie digs into her jacket pocket.

She pulls out a few folded sheets of paper as Tess’s eyebrow furrow in surprise.

“Where?”

Debbie opens up the papers and slides them over to Tess.

“Dubai.”

Tess takes the paper in her hands and begins to rake through them with her fingers and gloss over them with her eyes.

After a few minutes of reading, she clears her throat and places the papers back on the table.

“You know what the problem with you Ocean’s are?” she pats the papers on the table, “You guys always  _ make  _ it seem like there’s more good than harm but it  _ always  _ ends up being more harm than good.”

Debbie takes that in and focuses in on Tess.

“You don’t trust me, do you?”

Tess shrugs her shoulders.

“Not really, no.”

Debbie gives her a playful smirk at that,

“Don’t worry, I don’t blame you.”

Tess gives her a weird look at that.

“Look Debbie. I’m flattered you think I have the abilities to pull this  _ heist  _ off but I can’t and I won’t.” she slides the papers back over to Debbie.

“You have  _ nothing  _ to lose, but I do. I have a life and a child now. I can’t sacrifice all of that in order to try and pull off a heist.”

Debbie sighs and plays with her hands underneath the table.

“You’re talking to the same audience, Tess.”

Tess pauses and looks Debbie up and down.

“What-I’m sorry,  _ you  _ have a child?”

Debbie pulls out her phone and nods,

“Her name is Dani, she’s about eight months along and she’s my everything.”

She selects a photo of Dani and Lou in Dani’s nursery.

In the photo, Dani has a babyish smile on her face and Lou looks down at her with a big grin.

She slides the phone over to Tess who raises an eyebrow as she sees the full photo.

“I’m doing  _ this  _ to keep them safe, okay?”

Tess nods and gives Debbie a small smile,

“Who would’ve thought you and Lou would’ve had a child together.”

Debbie nods as she takes her phone back and smiles.

“You’re tellin’ me.”

Tess falls silent and strokes the nape of her neck as she bites her bottom lip.

“How do you know that this’ll go right? With no hiccups or anything.” her eyes fall back on Debbie.

Debbie crosses her arms and sighs.

“Because this is what I’m good at.”

Tess nods at that and shuts her eyes for a brief second as she releases a deep breath.

“Well, it’s not a definite yes  _ but  _ I’ll hear yo-”

“Angel, Daddy’s home!” the front door slams shut and Tess’s eyes widen in shock as her head whips towards the front door.

Debbie turns around and looks at the front door as she sees none other than…

Danny, all in his glory and definitely  _ not  _ dead.

His eyes fall on the two women and his jaw almost drops.

“You son of a bitch." she shakes her head in disbelief.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Make sure to leave a comment or kudos!


	4. Dead Man Walking

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Danny.” her teeth grit in aggravation, “Why?”  
> He takes a deep breath at that and takes in the empty kitchen with a long, pondering glance.   
> He brings her over to the glass table resting at the edge of the large kitchen and sits her down.   
> “I fucked up, Bebe.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Make sure to follow me on Tumblr: @Casliyn

“You weren’t going to tell me that you were fucking alive this whole goddamn time?” Debbie grunts out in between hits as she continuously strikes Danny’s arm with her first. 

 

Danny holds his hands up in defense as he tries to back away from Debbie, who only follows him angrily. 

 

“Debs, I-”

 

“Visited your grave ya’ know. Left you flowers and all that shit.” she takes a step back away from him. 

 

He beams at that and runs a hand through his grey hair. 

 

“I saw..a single white rose, glad you were able to be so creative during your grieving process.” he reaches out to put a hand on her shoulder but jerks her body away from him. 

 

There’s not much to say. 

 

There’s so much she wants to but it’s all stuck in her throat, all she can do is just shake her head in disbelief.

 

“Bebe. Don’t be mad.” 

 

She chuckles dangerously at that, “You’re asking for a lot right now, Danny.”.

 

He sighs at that and takes an earnest nod, 

 

“I’m sorry, okay?” he pulls out a stool and ushers her into the seat. 

 

Against her better judgment, she slides on the stool and pulls her legs firmly together as she adjusts her outfit. 

 

Despite that small part of her not believing that her brother had died, it was still a hell of an experience to see him living and breathing right in front of her. 

 

“Martini?” he offers with a slight smile which prompts her to shake her head defiantly, 

 

“Can’t. Drivin’ back up home tonight,” she explains

 

His eyebrows raise at that as he pours himself a glass. 

 

“Funny. Didn’t know they started lettin’ people on probation get behind the wheel.” he teases her with a knowing smile. 

She pinches the bridge of her nose, “Nothin’ you need to worry about, just had one of my friends pull a few strings for me.” she shrugs nonchalantly. 

 

“The hacker girl I presume.” he points his index finger at her, “A real talent.”

 

She’s too numb to even react to his knowledge. 

 

She wants to be excited about her brother being alive  _ but  _ at the same time, something doesn’t seem right. 

 

She knows her family too well.

 

The charming smile and chuckles don’t phase her.

 

She knows that there’s a story behind that goddamn smile and she wants to know why. 

 

“Danny. What are you doin’ here?” she looks into his eyes for answers. 

 

He pauses at that and gives an oblivious smile. “In case you haven’t noticed, I live here…”

 

“Don’t give me that bull, Danny.” she slides off the stool and stalks around the marble counter to join him on the other side. 

 

“Why are you not in your grave far away from here?” she surprises herself when her voice croaks in the middle. 

 

He tries to distract himself by turning around and opening his cabinet but she pulls his arm away from the cabinet forcefully. 

 

_ “Danny.”  _  her teeth grit in aggravation, “Why?”

 

He takes a deep breath at that and takes in the empty kitchen with a long, pondering glance. 

 

He brings her over to the glass table resting at the edge of the large kitchen and sits her down. 

 

“I fucked up, Bebe.” 

 

No shit, Sherlock. 

 

“Wouldn’t it be easier to just stay dead then, not have that burden weighing on you as a living person?”

 

“I couldn’t. Not with Tess and Angel stayin’ out here at least.” he nods his head towards the closed door that leads to the dining room. 

 

She takes that in. 

 

“So what’s your plan then? Runaway for good this time as a dead man walking?” she leans back in the seat. 

 

From the look he gives her, her joke seems to be his plan. 

 

She gives him a pointed look, 

 

“Are you seriou-”

 

“It’s the only option, Bebe.” he holds his hands up in defense as her shoulders begin to tense up into a square. 

 

He's run away before, it’s not a shock. But the fact that he’s so adamant on uprooting his wife and child’s life for something he pulled is concerning her. 

 

“Does Tess know about this?” 

 

He shakes his head at that, “That’s why I came home early today, picked up some passports, fake I.Ds, tickets, and the address.” 

 

Passports? Fake I.D’s? Sounds like her brother. 

 

“Where are you even going?” 

 

He pauses for a moment, “Romania.” 

 

It wasn’t what she was expecting honestly, she would’ve figured London or Paris at least but fucking Romania? 

 

The confused look she gives him must be enough for him to explain, 

 

“Mob ties are strong out there, nice housing for cheap and they know how to keep a secret over there. Which is all we need.” 

 

“What about Angelina?” her eyebrows raised in concern.

 

Now, being a mother she was...understanding of children and their needs. 

 

She wasn’t fucking Mother Theresa but, she knew enough about what kids needed. 

 

They need stability (as much the parents could give of course) and that’s not always found while you’re on the road in another country due to your father’s mom wrongdoings.

 

She of all people would know. 

 

“I was gonna send her with mom for a few days while Tess and I packed up the house and everything, just so she doesn’t see anything she doesn’t need to.” 

 

She takes that in and sighs,

 

“I can keep her for a few days.” she offers while crossing her arms. 

 

His eyes go round at the offer and he leans back in his seat, 

 

“You’d do that?” he points at her in confusion. 

 

She nods and tosses her hair behind her shoulders, “A day or two should be fine, not to mention the fact that I’ll have help to do it.” 

 

He grins at that and pats her shoulder,

 

“But Danny, you gotta tell me what you did. Maybe I can help you and get everything sorted.” 

 

Danny shakes his head at that and wipes his eyes, 

 

“You just gotta trust me, Bebe. I did the right thing at the time and I don’t want anyone in our family to face the consequences over it.” 

 

It wasn’t an answer but she’ll take it. 

 

For now at least. 

 

* * *

 

“Mom, you’re home!” Constance exclaims from the couch the second Debbie’s foot passes the threshold into the apartment.

 

She looks around the penthouse to see Constance on the couch with Dani in her lap, Amita on her phone next to Nine Ball on the opposing couch and Rose and Daphne on the floor with Scarlett in her arms.

 

“I thought you were coming home yesterday?” Amita looks up from her phone with a raised eyebrow. 

 

Debbie closes and locks the door behind her and purses her lips together, 

 

“My mom needed a tad bit more help with the funeral planning.” she grits her teeth together and makes her way towards the staircase with her duffel in tow. 

 

The penthouse is filled with the aroma of Pasta (Tammy obviously) and she sighs to herself as she stops by Dani and bends down to press a kiss on the crown of the toddler’s head. 

 

“How was home, Debs?” Nine asks as she looks up from her computer.

 

Debbie presses her lips together, trying to find the words. 

 

“Same old, same old. _ ”  _ she shrugs her shoulders with a tight-lipped smile, “Then again, it is the Ocean’s.” 

 

“Well, then what happened? Nine started a pool saying that you would come back with more heist plans.” Daphne speaks up from the ground and crosses her legs as Rose plays with the baby in her arms. 

 

“Snitches get stitches, Kluger.” Nine warned the brunette woman. 

 

“Good thing I don’t want plastic surgery.” Daphne retorts. 

 

A confused silence falls through the group as Debbie clears her throat and makes her way towards the wire staircase. 

 

“I’ll leave you all to discuss it, I need to unpack.” she waves a hand and makes her way up the staircase leaving the group. 

 

She falls silent as she holds onto the rail and makes her way up the staircase, 

 

“Well hurry back! I want to show you my new designs for Dani!” Rose calls after her.

 

She gives the group one last smile as she twists open the doorknob and enters the bedroom. 

 

The second she enters the room and shuts the door behind her….her composure stumbles for a brief second. 

 

Her back hits the door and she sighs heavily as her eyelids blink.

 

Had she known that by going back home she would automatically be subjected to all of her family’s crazy problems, she would’ve kept her ass home. 

 

Not only was she thrown into a fucking whirl with finding out that her father died, but her mom was also practically guilt-tripping her into taking on an international heist and Danny was still very much so alive. 

 

“I thought I heard ya’ thinkin’ in here.” 

 

She looks up from the ground and is met with Lou who wears her plaid robe and a large, satisfied grin stretched upon her lips. 

 

She laughs at that and stands to her feet, 

 

“You got out of the shower..” she smiles as Lou inches towards her. 

 

Lou gently strokes her robe and gives her a slight nod, 

 

“I  _ would’ve  _ waited for you to join me but you’ve gone mute on me, Ocean.” she pouts at Debbie as she wraps her arms around her neck and presses a kiss to her lips. 

 

“Sorry about that, things were crazy back home and you know how Ocean’s are.” 

 

Lou snorts at that and turns her body back around, 

 

“Your mom holdin’ up alright?”

 

Debbie sighs and drops her duffel in her closet, 

 

“Well, she’s still ordering me around as dramatically as possible so..everything seemed normal.”

 

Lou gives her a soft smile and rubs her hands together, 

 

“What’s gotten you all excited?” she raises an eyebrow at Lou. 

 

Lou holds up a finger and picks up a piece of paper off the cabinet's top. 

The blonde woman inches near her with a warm presence. 

 

“We’re going to England.” 

 

Her mind goes blank for a brief second as Lou begins to discuss where and how she got the tickets, who’ll watch Dani, and of course when they’re going. 

 

But there’s only one thing on her mind. 

 

Her father’s heist.

 

Part of her wants to go on vacation with Lou, who could blame her though?

 

After the past six years she had, she was deserving of a goddamn vacation. 

 

But at the same time….

 

There was the burning sensation inside of her directed at her family. 

 

She wanted to prove to them all that she wasn’t the same Deb that held Danny’s hand whenever they visited their father in jail. 

 

She was a grown ass woman with a child of her own and successful heist career of her own. 

 

She was sick and fucking tired of her mother doubting her with every inch of her being, she knew what she needed to do. 

 

“Cat got ya’ tongue?” Lou wiggles her eyebrows at her and wraps an arm around her neck as Debbie feels her body begin to tense up. 

 

She opens her mouth to respond but falls silent, 

 

“I thought we would talk about this  _ after  _ everything with my family blew over.”

 

Lou chuckles at that and pulls away from her, 

 

“That was an option.” she agrees with a tilt to the side, “But, I didn’t want you beatin’ yourself black and blue trying to please everyone.” 

 

She chews on her bottom lip at that and twists her ankle. 

 

“I need a minute.” she simply presses a hand to Lou’s. 

 

When Lou’s face expresses confusion, she blinks her eyes. 

 

“Everything back home is...chaotic to say the least and I need to make sure that my mom stays safe.” she feigns through gritted teeth. 

 

Lou gives her a confused noise and nods her head, following along. 

 

“She’s on the verge of losing her mind and..with my dad and Danny-”

 

“Debs. Are you okay?” 

 

She blinks twice at that. 

 

“What?”

 

“Are  _ you  _ okay?”

 

She gives Lou a pointed look and shrugs her shoulders, 

 

“I’m fine.” 

 

Lou tilts her head to the side and shakes her head, 

 

“Debs. No one else is around, you don’t need to bullshit with me.” she crosses her arms and confronts her full on. 

 

She takes a step back towards the door, 

 

“Nothin’, it’s just..family stuff.” she waves off nonchalantly. Instead of Lou just accepting that like Debbie is hoping the blonde just goes still in front of her. 

 

So, she decided to take an out.

 

Her best bet is to excuse herself to the bathroom after giving her a small peck on the cheek and hope that she doesn’t notice. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Make sure to leave a kudos and or comment!


	5. She Just Doesn't Understand

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Debbie. Can you take care of Angel for three or possibly more weeks?" Danny gives his younger sister a sympathetic look which is enough for Debbie to go mute for a minute. 
> 
> She knew she could, there was no doubt about it.
> 
> But, taking care of another kid on top of having Dani and the rest of the crew always being around would be enough to raise eyebrows.
> 
> Not to mention the fact that she couldn't afford to tell everyone what was actually happening.
> 
> But again, she knew what it felt like to be apart of a family of organized crime.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a while since I've last updated and I apologize!
> 
> Between school and writing my scripts, I've been a little short on my time for a majority of my stories!
> 
> Anyways, enjoy and let me know what you've thought in the comment section once you're done!
> 
> Thanks for supporting!

" _Are you Daphne Kluger?"_ Debbie's cousin, Inga sticks herself into the conversation at random.

 

Daphne's chocolate brown eyes blink in astonishment as she beams brightly to the brunette woman. 

 

"I am," she responds gleefully with a smile that's enough for Tammy to elbow her in the stomach.

 

She yelps in pain and grabs her side, "Ow! What the hell was that f-"

 

"We're at a _funeral_ , would you mind turning down the ego for a good hour or two?" Tammy scolds her in disgust which prompts Daphne to roll her eyes.

 

"It's not _my_ funeral." Daphne waves the blonde woman off with a hand and returns her attention to the starstruck woman.

 

 _"Unfortunately.."_ Tammy mumbles under her breath which causes Amita to slightly slap Tammy's arm knowingly as she balances Dani in her arms. 

 

"Has anyone seen Debbie? I'm worried about her." Rose rubs her arm up and down nervously...

 

Nine shrugs and tugs on a piece of her dread, Constance yawns and tries to cover her mouth with her hand and Lou strides over to the group as they sit at a table at the corner of the room.

 

"I thought the funeral was over?" Constance leans into the group with a look of confusion on her face

 

"It is." Lou pipes up from behind and slides into the seat next to Nine. "This is just the recessional-when everyone sort of catches up with one another." 

 

"How's Debs holding up?" Tammy raises an eyebrow and places her chin in the palm of her hand.

 

Lou nods earnestly and sighs, "Stoic. Hasn't said much, hasn't really eaten much...I'm gettin' worried." she admits with a sad tint in her eyes. 

 

Daphne quickly signs her signature on an autograph and does away with waving the woman goodbye and focusing her attention back on the group.

 

"It's true." Constance points at her, "She saw me on my skateboard at the house and just walked away." 

 

 "Well, that's because she's _grieving_." Tammy's gaze shifts on each member of the group as she speaks, "I mean, with her dad being dead she has been sent in a total state of consternation and constant perturbation. You can't help but-"

 

"Why don't you hold off on the diagnosis Dr. Phil." Daphne holds her hand up, "Sounds like your trying to permit her into a psych ward." 

 

"Dr. Phil isn't a _doctor_ doctor, he's a _doctor."_ Constance pipes up

 

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Nine arches an eyebrow at Constance as the group looks at her in confusion

 

"Like he's a 'doctor' who just helps spoiled brats love their parents again," she states like it's obvious

 

"You mean like the 'Meet Me Outside' girl?" Amita becomes engrossed with Constance's conversation.

 

" _Catch_ Me Outside." Nine enunciates for Amita, "Constance won't stop sending that damn gif in the group text." 

 

" _You're_ the one sending that text." a lightbulb goes off in Rose's head and she points a finger at Constance with wide eyes.

 

Lou just shakes her head and sighs at the group.

 

"She's just trying to not let it get to her." Amita consoles Lou with a small smile, "I was like that when my Dad passed." she says sadly.

 

Then they fall into a conversation about all things grief related and Daphne...feel uneasy.

 

Not because of the Vodka she managed to sneak it but because of the subject manner.

 

She was never really one for death and or grief and the whole subject made her feel not comfortable.

 

So, ignoring the confused looks from the group as she stands from the table, she walks away and instructs them to not follow her. 

 

She twists and turns her way through the sea of friends and family of Oceans who are clad in black and designer sunglasses; now she understood where Debbie got it from. 

 

She can't decide if it's the stuffy room of the Community Center or the number of people that make her chest and throat tighten in discomfort. 

 

There's a feeling in her chest that indicates if she doesn't remove herself from this environment in the next few seconds then she'll be dry-heaving herself into a coma and needing an ambulance. 

 

God, where could she go without being recognized?

 

She sees a room all the way in the back of the hall where a light flickers in an irritating rhythm. 

 

It looks secure enough for her to go in there and take a quick three-hour nap. 

 

But she gets pissed when she gets to the door and it's locked. 

 

"What the actual fuck?" she moans as she peers into the room and starts to understand why it's locked. 

 

There's Debbie, Diana, a woman with simply enviable highlights and a man who looks eerily similar to Danny.

 

The way that Diana firmly points at all of them with a stern finger and furious face, she can tell that the conversation their having is a tad bit intense and deserves privacy.

 

But....where was the fun in that?

 

* * *

 

 

"There's no way you're letting my Granddaughter be without a parent for almost a month." Diana bellows dramatically.

 

"Mom. It's just for a few weeks, to make sure that nothing happens while we get settled." Danny holds a hand up as he leans back in his chair. 

 

"Then why not let me watch my own Grandchild, I do have the most experience with dealing with children in criminal environments than _anyone_ here." she waves a hand around the dark room which is enough for Tess to hold her hands up.

 

"We're not saying that, Diana. It'll look safer for Debbie's image if she's seen taking care of Angel for a few weeks. That's all." she explains

 

Debbie takes a deep breath.

 

"And you trust Deborah over me?" she watches as Diana puts a hand over her chest in true dramatic flair. 

 

It's a trap.

 

She knows her mom too well to know that this little meltdown of hers was to ripple a series of events that she would want to all happen and rule in her favor.

 

"It's not about trust, it's about what we think is best for Angel, mom." Danny jumps to his feet and makes his way towards their mom. 

 

Of course, Danny, play the role of the Dedicated-Loving Son you were born to play. 

 

"I didn't know that Deborah was an expert in child-rearing." she mockingly sighs as Danny escorts her to her seat.

 

And that's when she's had enough.

 

"Never said I was." she removes herself from the chair and begins to pace back and forth in the small room, "But I do know what happens when a child grows up in that environment better than _anybody."_

 

Diana scoffs and looks Debbie up and down in surprise.

 

"Are you questioning my childcare tactics?" she leans back in her seat with a challenging tone.

 

Debbie inches her way towards her mother and takes a seat on the table right in front of her mother. 

 

"When they took Dad away for the first time, you told us that he was a good for nothing piece of shit that deserved to rot in hell in a cell that was six hundred feet underground." she closes her eyes for a brief second; the memory burning alive as if it took place Yesterday. 

 

"I speak on what I know and how I feel." she retorts

 

 _"That's_ the problem." she folds her arms over her chest, "You filled our heads with what you wanted us to believe about Dad and never once took into consideration how it would impact us." she points a finger between her and Danny.

 

"Debs, take a minu-" Danny reaches out to grab her but she shrugs away from his hands. 

 

"I'll be the first to admit that yes, Dad did some bad things." she gives the room an understanding nod, "But you went out of your way to make us hate him," she says with her voice breaking in the middle (And she curses herself out for it in her head).

 

"Trust me when I say that he didn't need help from me to make himself a hateable person." she leans forward with a mocking tone.

 

The room falls silent which prompts Tess to clap her hands together, 

 

"Look, between no one else knowing about Danny being dead and this whole Romania thing, I'd like to just pinpoint one singular plan and stick to it," she speaks up defiantly.

 

"Debbie. Can you take care of Angel for three or  _possibly_ more weeks?" Danny gives his younger sister a sympathetic look which is enough for Debbie to go mute for a minute. 

 

She knew she could, there was no doubt about it.

 

But, taking care of  _another_ kid on top of having Dani and the rest of the crew always being around would be enough to raise eyebrows.

 

Not to mention the fact that she couldn't afford to tell everyone what was actually happening.

 

But again, she knew what it felt like to be apart of a family of organized crime.

 

The feeling of the unknown, wondering if your Dad would ever come back...she experienced it all her entire life and she didn't like the thought of knowing that a kid (Especially one that's related to her) dealing with those type of issues.

 

"Yes." she nods and stares directly at her mom.

 

"I'll take care of her for as long as you need me to." she clarifies with an sympathetic nod towards Danny and Tess.

 

* * *

 

 

"Let me get this straight...Danny and Tess, had a kid all this time?" Lou follows her down the stairs into the main loft. 

 

She holds her breath as she nods, "Yeah. That's why she's going to need to stay here for a week or two..so Tess can move everything out of the house and get them acquainted into their new life." she goes to fix the pillows on the couch. 

 

Lou pauses for a moment to watch Debbie straighten the room together piece by piece, furniture by furniture. 

 

"I mean...it's just weird that you're offering to help Tess, I mean-after all you two have been through." Lou shrugs her shoulders. 

 

Debbie sighs and turns her attention to Lou with a sad smile.

 

"I wouldn't be doing this if it weren't right." she says with a nod, "Tess needs help and...this is how I'll help."

 

Lou clicks her tongue,

 

"So what about London?"

 

And the world goes still for a moment.

 

Oh fucking god.

 

On top of all the shit that was spinning around her, she had to deal with trying to maintain her relationship with Lou.

 

It's not like she didn't want to be with Lou, (that's really all she's ever wanted) but, between taking care of Dani and making sure her family doesn't fall apart..so much shit was on her plate she didn't know how to handle it.

 

"London can happen..not now but, it can happen." she stands from the couch and inches towards Lou.

 

Lou bites her bottom lip and nods her head; understanding it all.

 

"You could've told me that you didn't want to go Deb." her hands fly up in the air.

 

She clears her throat, "I didn't say that."

 

Lou scoffs, "You don't have to say anything, I know you." she looks away from Debbie with a hint of hurt in her eyes.

 

"Everything's been so crazy lately from my mom to Tess, to Danny-"

 

"Danny's _dead,_ Debbie." Lou gives her a stern tone, "The sooner you realize that the sooner it'll stop affecting us." 

 

And her heart wants to break.

 

There's so much she wants to say to her, so much for Lou to know but, she doesn't even know how to say it all while keeping her safe from the shit that she's already exposed to.

 

"Will you just believe me when I say that a lot is going on?" she tries

 

Lou sputters, "There's a lot going on here. Dani is on the verge of the flu, business at the club is declining because of some infection that's going on and my own wife won't stop to spend time with me." 

 

And she freezes.

 

For the first time, she doesn't know what to say but, she can tell Lou notices it. 

 

So, she speaks for her. 

 

"How about I'll make everything easier for you and just go." she throws her hands into the air and turns away from Debbie.

 

"Lou. Stop." she sighs from her spot as she watches Lou turn away from her and go towards the wire staircase. 

 

And she doesn't know what's worse. 

 

Knowing that Lou was serious on leaving or the absolute silence that came from her as she made her way up the staircase. 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Each comment and kudos are greatly appreciated so don't be shy to leave one!

**Author's Note:**

> Make sure to leave a comment/kudos


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